Questions about Effective Date of New Hourly Rates of Pay

Date:
September 20, 2016
Type:
AFA Article

Our recent communication to the joint Membership regarding the effective date of the recently negotiated rates of pay is generating a number of questions. These questions have made it clear to us not everyone shares an understanding of the differences in the way Flight Attendants are paid between pre-merger subsidiaries.

Beyond the pay issue, this situation demonstrates that as we move forward as one group of Flight Attendants, there may be, for a time, differences based on the Contract that might need to be explained. This is one such example.

Pre-merger United Flight Attendants who have worked a full schedule receive two paychecks each month – the 1st and 16th (or the business day immediately preceding the 1st or 16th – with the exception of New Year’s Day where, for W2 reporting purposes, we receive pay on the first business day following the holiday.) The following is a description of what is included in each of these paychecks for pre-merger United Flight Attendants:

*This pay can be gradually reduced if by the 20thof the previous month the DFAP total or GUAR is less than 50 hours or 30 hours.

Pay above 70% due

Per Diem

Expenses

Any adjustments from previous month

Pre-merger Continental (CAL) Flight Attendants are also paid on the 1st and 16th of each month (The amount included in that pay will vary if on jobshare.) However, what is contained in each of those pay checks differs as follows:

First of the month paycheck

16thof the month paycheck

40 hours of pay at the applicable hourly rate of pay provided she/he was on duty the previous two (2) weeks or due to receive credited time for such two (2) weeks.

An amount equal to the value of 25 hours (if the Flight Attendant was on active duty or due to receive credited time for the previous two weeks – also paid as an advance.

Pay earned in excess of 65 hours for the previous month

Other claims for pay submitted for the prior month if submitted by the 1stday of the current month

All travel expenses & per diem due for the previous month.

Any adjustments reducing pay from the previous month.

Because pre-merger CAL Flight Attendants are paid an advance of 25 hours of their September pay on the 16th of September, these Flight Attendants are seeing the Contractual pay increases in this advance check. However, all Flight Attendants are being paid the increased rates of pay effective for the September schedule month. There is a difference in the schedule of these payments for the time being. Eventually, we will all be paid under a model where we receive 70% of our base pay on the first of the month. It will take some time to implement the process by which pre-merger CAL Flight Attendants will be converted to this system.